Scioto County’s corruption saga took another dramatic turn as county commissioners finally fired Robert Horton from his role as Director of the Southern Ohio Port Authority (SOPA).
In a special hearing, it took commissioners less than two minutes to unanimously vote for Horton’s termination. They had offered him a chance to speak in his defense—but he was a no-show.
But the real shocker? The hearing exposed that SOPA, the agency responsible for handling millions of taxpayer dollars, hasn’t held a board meeting in months!
THE SCANDAL DEEPENS!
After the vote, the press in attendance questioned why Horton was reinstated as county Economic Development Director last year, even after state investigators raided his office.
Commissioners Bryan Davis and Cathy Coleman had previously argued that Horton was “too essential” to key projects for SOPA to function without him. But there was a major problem—Horton was banned from interacting with county employees while on leave due to the ongoing investigation.
Davis stood by his decision and claimed that a crucial financial issue involving bond payouts had been resolved before Horton was reinstated. But here’s where things get murky—Commissioner Coleman admitted that SOPA hasn’t even held a single meeting since last year!
“They haven’t yet. They still haven’t had a meeting,” Coleman confessed, raising major red flags about the agency’s operations.
SOPA, which is supposed to play a key role in economic development, has now gone NINE MONTHS without meeting—even while its director was under investigation for corruption!
WHO’S REALLY IN CHARGE?
Davis revealed that SOPA’s volunteer board members weren’t willing to step up and take over Horton’s responsibilities.
“Some members weren’t interested in doing the day-to-day operations,” Davis admitted.
SOPA’s treasurer was still in training and just learning the ropes.
Two new board members were appointed—but have never been confirmed because there hasn’t been a meeting?
So who’s running SOPA now? That remains a mystery.
HORTON HIT WITH MASSIVE 15-COUNT INDICTMENT!
Horton isn’t just out of a job—he’s also facing serious legal trouble.
On Valentine’s Day, the Scioto County Grand Jury dropped a 15-count indictment against Horton and his wife, Lioubov Horton, accusing them of stealing from the county and running a sham business to funnel money into their own pockets.
The charges include:
Theft in Office
Aggravated Theft
Money Laundering
Bribery
Tampering with Public Records
Meanwhile, Lioubov Horton is facing 12 felony charges, including telecommunications fraud and tampering with evidence.
FOLLOW THE MONEY!
Prosecutors say the Hortons and three unidentified co-conspirators created a fake business to funnel public funds from SOPA and the Minford Emergency Ambulance Service.
Investigators claim Horton disguised bribes as commission payments to his wife.
When the Ohio State Auditor’s Office started digging, Horton allegedly ordered businesses to destroy key documents to cover his tracks.
THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST BOMBSHELL
Last week, Commissioner Scottie Powell explained why he broke ranks with Davis and Coleman last year when they voted to reinstate Horton after the state launched its investigation.
Then, Commissioner Cathy Coleman dropped another bombshell—back in early 2023, Commissioner Bryan Davis’s wife was tied to a company doing business with the county!
- The questionable connections:
Commissioner Davis’s wife, Lori Davis, and Horton’s wife, Lioubov Horton, created an LLC in Ohio to represent O’Steel Building Systems, a South Carolina-based company.
- This company was involved in county projects—sparking major conflict of interest concerns.
Coleman revealed that she confronted Davis about the company, demanding answers. Within hours of their conversation, the county prosecutor’s office told Davis he had to abstain from SOPA-related matters due to a clear conflict of interest!
With Horton out of a job, under indictment, and facing serious prison time, the future of Scioto County’s economic development is now up in the air.
Will more names be exposed in the growing scandal? Will the corruption go deeper?
STAY TUNED—THIS STORY IS FAR FROM OVER!
